inquired the woman beside him. He swallowed hard. “Yeah, you go. I just wanted to say hi to Mr. Jenkins.” Okay, waiting for you in the car,” she responded before leaving. Richard approached me, his grip on my shoulders firm as he whispered, “Not here. See me in an hour at Tom’s Cafe, River Street, 6.” With those cryptic words, he left. In a daze, I found myself at the specified cafe. He came in an hour and started to ramble. “I know you want an explanation. I definitely owe that to you.” And he started his story, making me feel more and more nauseous. Before me, he had had a high school sweetheart, the love of his life. After seven years together, she abruptly ended their relationship. Broken but resilient, Richard moved on, eventually crossing paths with me. Our married life seemed perfect until she reappeared, confessing her love and seeking forgiveness. At that moment, he realized his heart still belonged to her. The revelation hit me like a tidal wave, drowning the years I had spent in faithful waiting. It was a pathetic tale; anger swelled within me, directed at him and myself.”You know that I didn’t remarry and waited for you all these years?” I choked on the words, a mix of disbelief and rage. His eyes rolled, mirroring the moment we met in church. What?? No.. You couldn’t.” “I did.” The pain in my chest threatened to suffocate me. I walked out to catch my breath, Richard following and kneeling beside me. “I’m sorry, Anna.” But I walked away, just as he had, without uttering a word. In the weeks to come, I would still find forgiveness for Richard and call Jake, inviting him to finally go out. Yet, in that very moment, I swore never to live for a man or anyone else but myself.